Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ensure that social prescribing practitioners receive the support they require to find suitable social prescribing placements.

NHS England and NHS Improvement provide support for social prescribing link workers as follows:

- A free online learning programme accredited by Health Education England, which includes topics on asset-based community development, working with the voluntary sector, supporting community services to be accessible and sustainable and delivering activities or groups;

- A fortnightly webinar series, including topics on connecting to different types of community services, such as sports and physical activities, community hubs and unemployment services;

- A fortnightly social prescribing bulletin sharing information about national community offers and services;

- An online collaboration platform, where link workers can connect and share information on local offers and seek advice; and

- A regional support package including peer support sessions for link workers to share local knowledge and the National Academy of Social Prescribing ‘Thriving Communities’ programme.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have produced a welcome guide for new link workers, and guidance to primary care on the role of social prescribing practitioners. The primary care guidance includes a checklist for link workers on working with the voluntary sector, including the quality markers and assurance they should look for in community services before supporting an individual to access them.